Wire-reeling apparatus.



No. 766,522. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. B. F. REIGHENBBRGER.

WIRE REELING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ii'm illlm ATTORNEYS No. 766,522. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. B. F. REICHENBBRGER.

WIRE REELING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. so, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHBBTSSHBET 2 lUHlIHn, n-n "UIHUIIHM HHHWIIWW1"' mi INVENTOR fienedz'ctl'fiaz'cizewezyer ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WlRE-REELING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 766,522, dated. August 2, 1904. Application filed December 30, 1903. Serial No. 187,170. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, BENEDICT F. RFJOHEN- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of section twenty-five, (25,)township Four, (i) in the county of Brown and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved WVire-Reeling Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus carried by a wheeled conveyance and adapted for extension of wire from a coil in the erection ,of a wire fence or to wrap the wire upon a spool if the wire is removed from posts that support the same when a fence is to be removed or rebuilt.

The objects of my invention are to provide novel details of construction for a wire-reel that adapt it for very convenient service, enable the rotation of the reel either by the movement of the wheeled conveyance or by hand-power, permit the exact adjustment of a novel tensional device, so as to control the wrapping of wire upon the reel-spool or in a like manner uncoil a wire therefrom, prevent breaking of the uncoiled wire, and permit the reeling apparatus to be quickly arranged for use at either side of the wheeled conveyance, as occasion may require.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view in part of a wheeled conveyance and a like view of the improved wire-reel mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal partly-sectional view substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. & is a transverse partly-sectional view of details of the improvement, taken substantially on the line 4 at in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4E.

In the drawings, 5 indicates a portion of a Wagon-body, 6 one of the wheels for the wagon, and 7 an axle whereon the wheel is held to rotate as usual at one side of the body, it being understood that in a complete construction the wagon may have four wheels and two axles for the supportand progressive movement of the conveyance.

Upon the sides 5 of the wagon-body two transverse bearing-bars 8 are mounted and secured, preferably by the means shown, consisting in the formation of shoulders a at a suitable distance from each end of said bars by removal of material from the lower edges of said bearing-bars, these shoulders having engagement with the inner surfaces of the sides 5 when the thinned ends of the bars 8 are mounted on said sides.

Clamping-bolts b are provided, one for each end of the bearing-bars 8. These bolts, that have each a hook on the lower end to hook upon the lower edge of the wagon-body from the outer sides thereof, pass at their threaded upper ends through perforations in the bearing-bars and receive nuts on their projecting upper ends, which when screwed to have proper contact with the bars clamp the latter upon the upper edges of the side boards 5, transversely of the body 5, in parallel planes with each other and suitably spaced apart.

A cross-brace 8 is secured upon the bearing-bars 8 at or near their lower edges and preferabl y equally distant from the side boards 5 in a plane parallel therewith. Upon the bearing-bars 8 a rectangular reel-supporting frame is mounted, comprising the side members 0 c, that are held spaced apart a suitable distance by the end members 0 c and are thereto secured by any preferred means, the side members 0 and 0 and transverse member 0" of said frame being normally projected somewhat over one of the side boards 5, as shown in Fig. 2. and, as represented in the same figure, the frame is stifiened by means of the stayrods (Z (Z, that engage the corners of the frame, cross each other diagonally, and are drawn taut by any preferred means.

A carrier-frame is provided for the rockable support of the reel-supporting frame that has been described and as appears in Fig. 2. The carrier-frame comprises a fiat metal bar 9, which is seated upon the cross-brace 8,

having at each end an arm respectively designated by the characters 9 9, said arms being disposed in parallel vertical planes, so separated as to permit them to loosely embrace the transverse members a of the rectangular reel-frame and are thereon pivoted by the bolts 6 e, which engage said parts near the cross-bar 0 of the reel-frame, whereby said frame is supported, free to rock upward from a horizontal plane at the end thereof which is nearest to the wagon-wheel 6. The carrierframe is adapted for secured attachment upon the cross-brace 8 by a central pivot-bolt h and a removable bolt 71.

A short lug g is extended outwardly from the vertical arm 9 for a loose engagment with a clip-plate that consists of a.base portion g, whereon an overhanging flange g is formed that is spaced sufliciently from the base p'ortion to receive the lug between said parts, and the lug is secured thereto by the upright pin 9 which is preferably formed of wood, the clip-plate 9 being affixed upon the adjacent bearing bar 8 by any suitable means.

At the center of the reel-frame perforations are oppositely formed in the cross-bars 0 0 for the reception of a reel-supporting shaft 10, that projects at one end slightly beyond the cross bar or member 0 and an'angular formation is produced on said extension 10 for the reception of a suitable crank-handle 11.

The reel-shaft 10 is extended a suitable length outside of the transverse reel-frame member 0 and is held to rotate on the frame members 0 0 by the securable collars f f, which are mounted on the shaft and respectively have loose contact with the inner sides of the frame members mentioned. Upon the shaft 10 a friction-wheel is loosely mounted; comprising a cylindrical body portion 12, having hubs z centrally formed on its opposite sides, which, with the body, are axially bored and of a proper diameter to be slidably fitted upon the shaft, and said body is held to rotate with the shaft by a feather-key 2", as shown in Fig. 4.

Upon one edge of the body 12 a circumferential flange m is formed or secured. As represented in Fig. 5, said flange inclines outward, so as to give the inner side a proper bevel or flare from the peripheral surface of the body 12. A similar flange n is loosely mounted upon the hub 2' at the other side of the body 12 and is adjustably held thereon by means of a plurality of stud-bolts 0, aflixed by one end in the wheel-body and projecting therefrom in parallel planes.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, three stud-bolts 0 are employed; but this number may be increased, if desired, and upon the bolts the loose flange 02" is mounted, said bolts passing through perforations in the flange, that is also centrally perforated for a loose engagement with the hub d, as before mentioned. A coiled spring 0 is mounted upon each stud-bolt 0 and is held with proper pressure against the flange n by the washers 0 and nuts 0 the washers that are mounted upon the threaded outer ends of the stud-bolts being forced against the springs by a screwed adjustment of the nuts on the threaded ends of the stud-bolts.

The relative position of the ground-wheel 6 and the friction wheel 12 on the shaft 10 adapts the flanges m and n to embrace the rim of the wheel 6 near its edge, and when drawn toward said rim wheel, as hereinafter explained, the frictional engagement of the flanges therewith will transmit rotary motion from the Wagon-wheel 6 to the wheel 12 and shaft 10, whereupon the wheel is held to rotate with the shaft by the feather-key i. Upon the outer end portion of the shaft 10 adjacent to the friction-wheel 12 a transverse arm is secured near the center of said arm, thus providing two members 13, that may be termed driving-dogs, each having at its outer end a toe turned outwardly,these dogs being adapted to interlock with the head portions E of a wire-holding spool E, that may be loosely mounted upon the portion of the reel-shaft 10, that extends outward beyond the dogs 13, said spool being removably held in place on the shaft by a split key or the like, that may be inserted in an appropriate one of a plurality of perforations 19, formed at short intervals in the shaft near its extremity, as shown in Fig. 2.

Upon the upper and lower edges of the side member 0' 0f the frame, which is extended beyond the transverse reel-frame member 0 toward the wagon-wheel 6, two similar strapplates 14 are loosely secured that project somewhat beyond the outer end of the said frame member 0' and are bent oppositely, so as to produce the two arms 14 thereon that are bent at a right angle respectively, so as to project the end portions 14 thereof horizontally or in planes parallel with that of the strapplates. The parts 14 14 14 together form a suitable bracket-frame for the support of a guide-roller 15, which is journaled at its ends between the end portions of the bracket-frame members 14", and is thus held to rotate in a vertical position.

Adjacent to the roller 15 and upon the bracket-frame members 14 a guide-bar 15" is secured, which stiffens the bracket-frame and serves as a guide for fence-wire that is passed between the roller and guide-plate when the reel is in service.

The means preferably employed for holding the strap-plates 14 upon the upper and lower edges of the frame member 0 consists of two clip-bands r 1*, that are secured upon the outer side wall of the frame member mentioned and have a hooked engagement with the strap plates and at their free ends also lap upon the inner side of the part 0', so that the strap-bars are held to slide longitudinally on the reel-frame member they are clipped upon.

A shifting lever 16 of suitable length is pivoted at its center at s upon the outer side of the reel-frame member a near the inner ends of the strap-plates 141, so that equal portions of the lever project oppositely from its pivot.

A link-bar 17 is pivoted at one end, 8, upon the lever 16 at a suitable distance from the pivot s and at its opposite end upon the looped band 1- which is secured by its end portions upon the strap-plates 14:.

It will be seen that by vibration of the uppermost member of theshifting lever 16 the strap-plates 11, the bracket-frames at their outer ends, and the upright roller 15, as well as the guide-bar 15*, will be correspondingly reciprocated.

In the use of the apparatus for reeling up fence-wire that has been loosened from a line of spaced posts (not shown) the bolts it and h are placed in position and hold the reelframe stationary. Aspool Eis mounted upon the reel-shaft l0 and removablysecured thereon by a key inserted through a perforation p or by equivalent means. the members E of the spool interlocking with the dogs 13, so as to rotate the spool with the shaft 10. One detached end of a fence-wire, such asF in Fig. 2, that is to be wrapped upon the spool E is first passed between the roller 15 and guidebar 15 and then secured to a portion of the spool, and the wagon is progressively moved in the direction of the arrow in in Fig. 2. This will cause the upper portion of the periphery of the wagon-wheel 6, that is engaged by the flanges m and n on the friction-wheel 12, to rotate in the direction of said arrow :1 and the friction-wheel, together with the spool E, to rotate in an opposite direction, (indicated by the arrow in) which will wrap up the fencewire as the wagon is moved along near the line of fence-posts.

it will be seen that the slidable connection of the friction-wheel 12 with the shaft 10 adapts it to yield laterally, so as to compensate for any wabble of the wagon-wheel that may be caused by its looseness on the axlespindle, and, as hereinbefore indicated, the pressure of the coiled springs 0 on the friction-flange '11 insures a proper frictional engagement of the flared flanges m and a with the wheel-rim for a positive rotation of the spool E when the apparatus is in use. Furthermore, the hinged support of the reel-frame on the carrier-frame near the inner end of the reel-frame permits said frame to rock and accommodate itself to the wheel 6.

It will be seen that by asuitable adjustment of the nuts 0 on the stud-bolts 0 any desired clamping pressure of the flanges on the rim of the wagon-wheel 6 may be effected. Furthermore, the adjustment of the hub of the dogs 13 and the position given to a collar u on the reel-shaft 1O serve to restrain the friction-wheel 12 from improper lateral movement.

Upon the forward elongation of the reelframe member 0' a stop-block 1' is mounted and held by a screw-bolt w, it being positioned upon the outer side of said frame member between the clip-bands 1" and 1' The stop-block c is adapted for longitudinal adjustment by providing a longitudinal slot 0 therein, through which the bolt 1: is inserted and then screwed into the frame member 0', and it will be evident that by a proper adjustment of the stop-block o the reciprocation of the strap-plates 14, the bracket-frame at their outer ends, and the roller and guidebar carried by said bracket-frame will be limited in extent, and it will be observed that by a vibration of the lever 16 the fence-wire F may be controlled so as to evenly lay it upon the spool E while it is being wrapped thereon.

If the wires to be wrapped upon a spool are on a fence-line that extends between two others or up into a corner, so that the wagonbody cannot be drawn up close to the end of i said fence-line, the loosened wire that remains uncoiled may be wrapped upon the spool by manipulation of the crank-handle l1 and a rotation of the shaft 10 in a proper direction.

\Vhen the apparatus is used to reel up fencewires when the fence to be rebuilt or removed will permit the wagon to be drawn past the approached corner of the fence,it will be evident that the resulting rotation of the reel or spool E will wrap the wire completely thereon. To reel up another wire that is to be removed from the same fence-line, it is only necessary to place another spool E upon the shaft 10 and turn the wagon-body around so as to bring the opposite side of the body close to and parallel with the fence-line. Then the reel-frame is disposed with its lower side uppermost by rocking it upon the arms 9 9 of the carrier-frame, so as to locate the outer end of the reel-shaft at the side of the wagonbody that is now nearest to the fence-line, and thus permit the flanges m n on the frictionwheel 12 to engage with a wagon-wheel 6 at that side of the said body. The loosened end portion of the wire to be reeled is now passed through the narrow space between the guideroller 15 and guide-bar 15 and fastened upon a portion of the spool E. The wagon is then moved in the direction of the arrow on, which will obviously turn the spool E in a proper direction for reeling the fence-wire thereon.

If the line of fence comprising a spaced row of posts and a plurality of fence-wires is of considerable length, it may be necessary to place a separate spool E upon the reel-shaft 10 to receive each wire, and obviously by continuing the operation that has been described that is to say, turning the wagon around at each end of the fence-line and'reversing the position of the reeling apparatus by turning the reel-frame over from one side of the wagon-body to the otherthe several wires of the fence may be automatically reeled upon spools without requiring the reeling operation to be commenced at the same end of the fence-line as is ordinarily done, and thus save time in returning the wagon to the point of commencement.

It will be noticed in Fig. 2 that in reeling up a wire it is preferably fed to the spool over the upper side of the spool after passing through the space between the roller 15 and guide-bar 15, and the control of the wire is thus rendered easy for its even distribution by a manual operation of the end portion of the lever 16 that may be uppermost.

In rebuilding an old fence or in erecting a new one the fence-wire reel is equally as well adapted as for the reeling of wire upon spools. In this use of the apparatus the securing-bolt h is removed and the frame is held stationary by the pivot-bolt it, together with the breakable pin 9 A filled spool E is placed on the reel-shaft 10 and engaged at its inner end with the dogs 13, so that the spool can only turn with the shaft. The free end of the fencewire is now extended from the lower side of the spool E toward an outer post (not shown) of a line of fence-posts whereon the fence-wire is to be secured. This disposal of the fencewire adapts the spool to. pay out wire therefrom in the direction of the arrow :13, and the tension of the said wire is effected by the friction-wheel, that is more or less retarded in its rotary movement by its frictional contact with the rim of the wagon-wheel 6, it being understood that the latter is turning at its point of engagement with the friction-wheel in the direction of the arrow m in Fig. 2. In a like manner with the reeling up of fence-wires there maybe a plurality of such wires strung along a line of fence-posts for attachment thereto by turning the wagon around, and

' thus bringing the opposite side of the wagonbody nearest to the fence-line, which, if the reel-frame is turned over, will permit the stretching of a fence-wire that is paid out from a spool on the shaft 10 in an opposite direction of travel of the wagon and apparatus thereon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A wire-reeling apparatus, comprising a reel-frame held to rock on a wagon-body so as to lie near a wagon-wheel at either side of the body, a reel-shaft journaled on the reelframe and extended at one end across a wheel of the wagon, a frictionally-operating tension ing the strap-plates and holding them free to slide on said member, the strap-plates being bent at their outer ends, forming a bracketframe, an upright roller journaled in the upper and lower members of the bracket-frame, a guide-bar on the frame spaced from and parallel with the roller, and means for sliding the bracketframe on the reel-frame member.

2. A wire-reeling apparatus, comprising a reel-frame held to rock on two transverse bars mounted on a wagon-body, so as to be turned over in a semicircle and assume a level position near either of two opposite wheels of the wagon, said reel-frame being also held to rock laterally in a horizontal plane, a breakable pin adapted to normally hold the reel-frame from horizontal rocking movement, a reel shaft journaled on the frame and extended across a wheel of the wagon, and a tension device carried by the shaft and frictionally engaging the rim of the wagon-wheel it is opposite, for r0- tation therewith.

3. A wire-reeling apparatus, comprising a rectangular frame .held transversely on a wagon-body and adapted to swing in a horizontal plane, means to hold the frame from such swinging movement, means for pivoting the frame near its inner end on the wagonvbody so as to rock and dispose its free end at either side of the said wagon-body, a reelshaft journaled on the frame so as to extend at one end outward and across a wheel of the wagon, a frictionally-operating tension device engaging the rim of the said wagon-wheel, a wire-holding spool mounted on the extended end of the shaft and means'for releasably holding the spool on said shaft so as to rotate therewith.

4. A wire-reeling apparatus comprising two bearing-bars held transversely of a wagonbody, a carrier-frame bar having upright arms at its ends, a reel-frame pivoted near one end between the arms of the carrier-frame so as to permit it to be rocked into engagement with eitherside of the body, a pivot-bolt near the center of the carrier-bar, engaging said bar and a transverse brace on the bearingbars, a removable securing-bolt near one end of the carrier frame bar, holding it from swinging on the pivot-bolt, a lug extended from one arm of the carrier-frame, a clip-plate held on one of the bearing-bars and having lapped contact with the lug, a breakable pin engaging perforations in the lapped clip-plate and the lug, said pin holding the reel-frame from swinging on the pivot-bolt when the securing-bolt is removed, a reel-shaft journaled near one end transversely on the reel-frame and extended across one wheel of the wagon and over the adjacent side of the wagon-body, a frictionally-operated tension device mounted upon the reel-shaft and having clasping contact with the rim of the wagon-wheel to which it is opposite, a wire-holding spool on said extended end of the reel-shaft, and means for holding the spool for rotation with said shaft.

5. In a Wire-reeling apparatus of the character described, having a supported reelframe, a rotatable shaft thereon, a spool held on an end of the shaft for rotation therewith, and means for rotating the shaft, a Wire-guiding device, comprising a bracket-frame slidably mounted upon a prolonged side member of the reel-frame, an upright roller, a guidebar spaced from the roller and both mounted on the bracket-frame, a lever pivoted on the side member of the reel-frame and loosely con- 

